<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Persistence is key by Bill_Longbow</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22392874">Persistence is key</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow'>Bill_Longbow</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, Oblivious Tony Stark, Pining, Post-Avengers (2012)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:29:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,358</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22392874</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Bucky had decided it was only fair to take things slow when wooing Tony, he didn't deserve anything else than that. However, they hadn't expected it to be  this glacially slow. </p><p>Or where Steve and Bucky are wooing a genius who has no clue he is being wooed.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>688</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Great stories, StarkSpangledWinter Wonderland Event</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Persistence is key</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the Stuckony discord server fest prompt no 27: Steve and Bucky had decided it was only fair to take things slow with Tony. However, even Steve, hadn't  expect it to be this glacially slow.<br/>Tony actually has no idea they are trying to date him. (So obviously things are moving slow.)<br/>A little bit of, 'nah, they'd never be into me/looking for a triad relationship,' a little bit of, 'OF COURSE I missed it, who would ever think you wanted to date me based on that???'<br/>Bonus points for Bucky might die of the tease/wait.<br/>Bonus points for Tony going on a date cause he's clueless.</p><p>Many thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/HogwartsToAlexandria/">Marie</a> for cheering and beating!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They share a look over the breakfast table. In the distance they hear Tony hurrying along the corridor, rambling to Jarvis about community college. Seems like Jarvis had to resort to drastic measures to get Tony out of the lab in time again. </p><p>Steve hopes that they'll be the ones in the near future to coax Tony not out of the lab but out of bed in the mornings, and he's confident they're making good way towards that goal. </p><p>He smiles at the ensemble on the table and then at his lover. Tony's favourite coffee and breakfast bun stand ready to go, along with a lunch box with a pastrami sandwich and blueberries as snack. Taking care of people has always been Bucky's way to show love, even back before the war, and it clued Steve in Bucky was just as gone over Tony as he was. </p><p>Bucky grins at him and then turns around to watch the spectacle that is a Tony Stark in a three piece suit hurrying into the kitchen. </p><p>"Don't you <em> as you wish </em> me, mister," Tony growls at his AI as he rounds the corner, "I'll program the sass right out of you, see if I don't."</p><p>"I quiver in my servers," Jarvis replies and Steve has to fight to keep a straight face. </p><p>"Wonder twins! Please excuse my wayward AI son, he's going through puberty."</p><p>"Morning, Tony."</p><p>"Mornin', doll."</p><p>Steve and Bucky share another smile before Bucky wordlessly hands Tony his breakfast. </p><p>"Here, take this too. Don't want you to skip lunch again," Steve says as he holds out the lunchbox. </p><p>Tony blinks at the items in his hands and then holds out his arm so Steve can fit the lunchbox under it. </p><p>"Miss Potts informs me she will quit if you're not in the boardroom within one minute, sir."</p><p>"Shit." Tony jumps away like a Jack in the box, but halts at the door to squint at Steve and Bucky.</p><p>"45 seconds."</p><p>"Bye, Tony!" Steve calls after him when Tony runs away to the elevator. </p><p>"Ya think he'll find the card?" Bucky asks, looking thoughtful. </p><p>"Of course he'll find the card. You put it under his sandwich, right? He'll find the card." Steve is sure of this. </p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>"He didn't find the card," Bucky states as he pulls a very sad half eaten sandwich from the lunchbox with an even sadder soggy card stuck to it. </p><p>Steve frowns at it, like he can divine what happened during lunch from the way the ink has run and smudged the drawing. (It had been Tony asleep on Bucky's shoulder on the couch, both men looking content and carefree. Steve remembered it as a perfect moment, up until Tony woke and hurried away again, always busy. Now they resemble sad swamp monsters in a bog.)</p><p>"I wish he wouldn't run himself haggard all the damn time," Bucky mutters. "Would it really hurt the company if he sat down to eat every once and awhile?"</p><p>Steve doesn't know. It doesn't seem likely. Then again, Tony’s work ethos is one of the things Steve loves about him. (Yes, he has started using the <em> loving </em> term instead of just <em> liking </em> in the privacy of his own head. He’s seen A Lot, and he knows there won’t ever be other men like Bucky and Tony for him.)</p><p>“We should invite him for dinner; our floor, no phones and distractions allowed.” Steve takes the lunchbox and its contents from Bucky’s unresisting fingers and dumps the lot into the trash. </p><p>“Bet you fifty dollars even that’s not obvious enough,” Nat suddenly pipes up from where she calmly sat peeling an apple, on a bar stool that was unoccupied just a moment ago. Steve has gotten used to living with someone not even he can hear coming and going, and Bucky says he can, so neither of them startles at the sudden intrusion.</p><p>“Obvious what?” Bucky asks. “No phone should be obvious he can’t work, right?” Bucky looks at Steve, who shrugs and nods. He can’t think of a better way to signal Tony he deserves a break.</p><p>Natasha mutters something under her breath and slides of the barstool. “You deserve each other,” she says darkly before disappearing again.</p><p>“Let’s do it tomorrow,” Bucky nods.</p><p>“Great! I’ll help you cook.” Steve crosses the distance between them and pulls Bucky into a chaste kiss.</p><p>“You’ll stay out of my kitchen and do something useful like buy flowers.” </p><p>“I’ll go out and buy flowers,” Steve corrects himself, smiling against Bucky’s lips in another kiss.</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>And <em> this </em> is why Tony should avoid the common areas. Not that it would be of much use, since Elsa and Anna seem to have a knack to find him wherever he’s hanging out. It would be better if they weren’t so damn nice about their relationship. They rarely hug or hold hands, and only kiss when they think there’s no one around. If they were more in your face with their happily ever after Tony could’ve felt… <strike>turned on</strike> annoyed by it. Now he just feels sad. And guilty that he’s sad. And annoyed about feeling guilty about feeling sad. He’s a mess.</p><p>“Warn a guy, will you, J,” he mutters on the elevator up. Up, up, to the penthouse where they blessedly haven’t come. Yet. He wouldn’t put it past Rogers to find some way to come up here with helpful tips on a healthy lifestyle. It’s sweet, it really is, the way those pinacles of human perfection worry about the sad, soft meatsack that is Iron Man in the flesh, but hasn’t he taken reasonably good care of his body up until now? He’s in fine shape for a 44 year old, more than fine. He won’t win sexiest man of the year awards anymore, that time is long done and gone, but he’s doing okay. </p><p>Or, he <em> was </em>doing okay, right until he realized what that floaty feeling in his stomach whenever Cap does that chest clutching full body laugh, or Bucky calls him doll is. </p><p>“Sorry, sir. Agent Romanov only left 22 seconds prior.” </p><p>That doesn’t help at all. Clearly they’re so touch-starved they jump each other as soon as they’re alone. And they would be alone more often if not for their need to take care of Tony, the most vulnerable member of the team. </p><p>They deserve to have time to themselves, they're the best men Tony knows. Well, apart from his Platypus of course, nobody beats Rhodey. </p><p>Maybe he should move back to L.A. for a bit, oversee SI from there, get out of everybody's hair. </p><p>Feeling sad, and hungry for the other half of his sandwich, he takes the private elevator from the penthouse to his workshop to <strike>sulk</strike> work.</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>“Sir.”<br/><br/>“<em>Sir.</em>”</p><p>“What?” Tony looks up from where he’s doodling the foundations of a new Malibu house. If he’s gonna move across country he might as well do it in style. </p><p>“Captain Rogers and Sergeant Barnes cordially invite you to dinner tomorrow night.”</p><p>Sure. <em> Cordially. </em> Old timey for friendzoned. Tony turns back to his schematics. Would Rhodey be okay with his own set of rooms or should he have his own wing? </p><p>“Your schedule is free,” Jarvis prompts, quite unwanted if you ask Tony. </p><p>“And the last time you sat down to have dinner is nine days ago.”</p><p>“I’m gonna download you into a roomba.”</p><p>“Sergeant Barnes is contemplating if he should make lemon drizzle cake or triple chocolate brownies for dessert. </p><p>“Tell ‘em I’ll be there at seven.”</p><p> </p><p>-----</p><p> </p><p>“Steven Grant Rogers, if you pull on that table cloth one more time Imma smack ya.”</p><p>“Promise?” Steve grins in that way that makes Bucky question the intelligence and observational skills of the general public who think that Steve is a saint. </p><p>“Only if you hook us a genius, now get stirrin’, pretty boy.” Bucky points to the huge saucepan with the stew that has simmered for hours. It doesn’t need stirring, but Steve doesn’t need to know that. He’s driving Bucky nuts with his pacing and he can’t concentrate on plating up the starter.</p><p>“You only call me pretty ironically,” Steve pouts as he sniffs the stew.</p><p>“That’s not true,” Bucky replies on autopilot and picks up a flower with a tweezer to put on top of the salad, huffing in annoyance when it falls a little skewed and he has to pick it up and replace it.</p><p>“It <em> is </em>true.”</p><p>“It’s not.”</p><p>“It so is.”</p><p>“Steve, are you picking a fight with me to rile me up for later?” Bucky straightens from where he was bending over Tony’s starter to glare at his boyfriend.</p><p>“Is it working?” Steve asks, all innocent tone and huge doe eyes.</p><p>“Yes? But cut it out, I want this to be perfect.”</p><p>“It <em> is </em>perfect. Do you want me to bring it to the table, later?”</p><p>Bucky knows how Steve would’ve liked to contribute more to the night, so he nods as he puts the final flower petal onto its place.</p><p>“I’ll hold back on playin’ footsie with Tony until you’re at the table as well,” he grins and laughs wider when Steve acts like he’s clutching his pearls.</p><p>“Captain, Sergeant, sir requests entry to your floor,” Jarvis pipes up, and they both look at the camera in the corner.</p><p>“Thank you, Jarvis.”</p><p>“Thanks, J.”</p><p>Steve darts in to give Bucky a quick peck on the lips, and there won’t come a day where Bucky isn’t enamoured by the gesture, sweet and honest and 100 percent Steve.</p><p>The elevator doors open to reveal Tony, looking gorgeous in a casual sweater and jeans, and of course Steve is the first to all but bounce over to their guest. </p><p>“Tony, hi! We’re glad you could make it.” Steve gently leads Tony with a hand on his upper arm towards the table.</p><p>"Look, who am I to turn down a cordial invite," Tony grins, and it's because Bucky has made something of a study of Tony's smiles that he sees it's too sharp. Must've been a rotten day at the office then. </p><p>"Hi Tony!" Bucky yells from the kitchen as he pours their drinks, homemade lemongrass lemonade, to go with the starter.</p><p>“Buckaroo, looking fancy,” Tony says, and his grin turns more genuine as he leers at Bucky’s apron that depicts a very muscled topless man in a hula skirt.</p><p>“Nothin’ but the best for our visitor,” Bucky smirks and winks before ducking back to his task.</p><p>“Wanna take a seat?” Steve just pushes Tony’s chair to the table when Bucky comes over with their drinks - sans apron - and sits down across from Tony. Steve sits down at the head of the table and raises his glass.</p><p>“To a special evening,” he smiles, toasting Tony first before he touches his glass against Bucky’s. </p><p>“Hear hear,” Tony agrees with his usual bravado, and Bucky shares a quick look with Steve. He has a good feeling about tonight. Having Tony show up in nice clothes must mean he’s ready for more as well, right?</p><p>“We were thinkin’ of askin’ Jarvis to hold all your calls tonight,” Bucky says after taking an appreciative sip of his lemonade. </p><p>Tony frowns that cute little frown of his and shuffles on his seat. "Sure," he shrugs nonchalantly, belying that clear moment of discomfort. For a Forbes 500 company owner he sure is shit at lying. </p><p>"Great!" Steve beams and salutes them with his glass again. </p><p>"Wow, Bronco, this is some tasty stuff," Tony compliments and from the corner of his eye Bucky notices Steve watches avidly how Tony licks his lips. </p><p>Horny sod. </p><p>"Thanks," Bucky smiles but kicks Steve under the table, nodding towards the kitchen. "I love all these herbs an’ spices that are around nowadays." He turns back to Tony when Steve jumps up to get their starters. </p><p>"How was your day, doll?" Bucky adores the little blush that never fails to adorn Tony's cheeks at the nickname, and he uses it as often as he can get away with. </p><p>“Same old, same old. Strong arming shareholders, schmooze lunch with prospective investors, preventing R&amp;D from burning to the ground.” Tony shrugs and chugs the lemonade down, confirming Bucky’s hypothesis that he didn’t drink enough again.</p><p>Before he can make a comment about it Steve comes walking over with their plates, and places the prettiest one in front of Tony, who looks at it in confusion. Damn, was he allergic to shellfish? Bucky never thought to ask.</p><p>“Everything okay?” he asks concerned and leans forward, a move mimicked by Steve who just sat down again.</p><p>“Yeah, sure, just peachy,” Tony nods, darting a look between Bucky and Steve and back at his plate again.</p><p>“It’s cucumber and horseradish gazpacho with crab salad,” Bucky clarifies, feeling more than a little proud of the dish. “And those white bits are pickled white radish.”</p><p>“That’s… really fancy,” Tony nods and picks up a flower to examine it. Bucky chose these ones because they’re the exact color of Steve’s eyes and he’s a sap like that.</p><p>“It’s borage, you can eat it,” Bucky prompts Tony to try. Tony's… lack of reaction is grating on him, but Steve puts a grounding hand on Bucky's knee under the table. </p><p>"Come on, Tony, I bet you put weirder things into your mouth," Steve goads with a grin, making Tony squint at him. </p><p>"See what I have to live with?" Bucky lamented with a sad shake of his head. </p><p>"Are you trying to convince me <em> Captain America </em> just made a felatio innuendo? I don't know if I should feel concerned or impressed."</p><p>Bucky shrugs. If Tony hasn’t caught on by now Bucky’s not the one to clue him in. Instead he takes a bite of the salad, hoping the others will as well.</p><p>“Goh thish ish really goo,” Steve says with his mouth full, smiling his happy smile, the one that’s coming out more and more and is the exact same one Bucky fell in love with 80 years ago. He kicks Steve under the table to remind him of his manners, but he can’t keep the lovesick smile off his face as he does.</p><p>He notices Tony starts shoveling the starter in without looking up, and while Bucky would’ve hoped Tony actually tasted what he made, he’s glad Tony finally dug in. “Stevie picked the crab himself at the fish market this morning. Did you know there’s one up at Prospect Heights? Came across it during one of our runs.”</p><p>“I didn’t jog there today though,” Steve grins mischievously. “I wonder what the tabloids woulda said about Captain America running with a giant lobster under his arm.”</p><p>His joke makes Tony chuckle, <em> finally </em>, and Bucky feels himself relax. It had almost been like Tony didn’t want to be here, but Bucky knew that was his conditioning kicking his butt. He was getting better though. </p><p>"We could've spun it," Tony smirks, his eyes shining in mirth. "<em> Avengers caring for intergalactic pet </em> ?" he says in a reporter's voice. "Or what about <em> Captain America saving marine life one crustacean at the time. </em>" </p><p>Steve and Bucky both laugh at Tony's antics and share another look. </p><p>"Both better than the truth," Steve remarks as he scrapes the last of the food out of his bowl. If Bucky would let him he'd lick it clean, no doubt. </p><p>"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Tony chuckles in answer.</p><p>"That Captain America is wooing Iron Man? I think the gossip rags are gonna have a field day if they know what's going on." Steve frowns his disapproving frown, and Bucky can't disagree on this one. But they've talked about it and both--</p><p>"Excuse me?" Tony's voice is shrill as it cuts through Bucky's thoughts. </p><p>Both Bucky and Steve look up at Tony in question. "What doll?"</p><p>Tony blinks at them, a little like he did when they were confronted with the intelligent taco people two weeks ago. Long live the multiverse.</p><p>"Captain America is doing what now?"</p><p>Tony's wound tight like a viper ready to spring, his hands clutching the table hard enough to make the knuckles turn white. </p><p>"Wooing?" Steve asks more than says, confusion clear in every line of his body. "Aren't we… Didn't you…" he stutters.</p><p>"What did you think this was, doll?" Bucky asks, leaning forward on the table. </p><p>"A friendly dinner?" Tony sounds near hysterical now, looking between them like they just told him they’re body snatchers.</p><p>“Why would it… Does this look like a <em> friendly </em> dinner?” Bucky waves his hand to encompass the entire entourage, which includes several vases of flowers scattered around the apartment, candles on the table, and the - frankly spectacular if you ask him - starter.</p><p>“No?” Tony shakes his head. “It doesn’t, which doesn’t make any <em> sense. </em>”</p><p>Steve looks at Bucky, who looks at Steve. Things have not been how they thought they were.</p><p>“But we’ve been dating for months now,” Steve says, and the way his shoulders slump at the statement makes Bucky want to both hug and punch.</p><p>“No we haven’t?” Tony denies with a firm shake of the head. “You,” he waves between Steve and Bucky, “are dating, and I,” a pat on his own chest, “tag along sometimes.”</p><p>"What?” Steve sits so far forward on his chair it threatens to topple. “Tony, what?”</p><p>Bucky pinches the bridge of his nose to calm himself and then fixes his gaze onto Tony. “What about us going to dinner almost once a week?”</p><p>“You’re worried I don’t eat enough.”</p><p>“Going for ice cream in the park?”</p><p>“Same, plus fresh air.”</p><p>“The movies.”</p><p>“You go to the movies with the others as well.”</p><p>“Ice rink.”</p><p>“I was feeling low after that mission and you needed to boost team morale.”</p><p>“You flew us to Napels!”</p><p>“Because you were bitching about the modern pizzas and I wanted to give you something nice! We weren’t dating!” Tony almost yells the last part, and Bucky feels the fight drain out of him.</p><p>“Tony,” Steve starts, reaching out to gently take one of Tony’s hands in his. Bucky is relieved Tony doesn’t recoil, and he holds his breath when Steve starts to speak.</p><p>“We spend all our free time with you. We know your favourite foods and the exact way you want your coffee in the mornings and in the afternoons. We leave you little notes when we have to go on missions, and bring back silly little things that reminded us of you.” </p><p>He holds up his hand when Tony wants to object. “Please, let me finish. That’s not something we do to boost <em> team morale, </em> we do that to boost our morale, Steve and Bucky morale. Because being with you makes us happy.” He hesitates a little so Bucky pushes his leg against Steve’s to give him silent support.</p><p>“And we thought we made you happy too.” Steve finishes and Bucky has to resist the urge to wrap Steve up in a bear hug, looking as hopeful and vulnerable as he does now.</p><p>“Geez, Cap,” Tony mutters, but doesn’t pull back his hand. “Couldn’t you have said this two months ago?” he huffs, but Bucky sees the way he can’t keep the smile off his face.</p><p>“We thought it was clear,” Steve admits sheepishly, as Bucky reaches out to take Tony’s other hand.</p><p>“We wanna date you and woo you proper-like. Do you object?”</p><p>Tony looks from Steve to Bucky and back, looking happier than they had ever seen him before.</p><p>“Does this proper wooing entail kisses, perchance?” he asks, mischief in his voice.</p><p>“Doll, so many kisses,” Bucky grins.</p><p>“On all the parts,” Steve agrees and catches Bucky’s fake punch mid air with a laugh.</p><p>“Dinner first. I didn’t slave in the kitchen for you horndogs to ignore the food. You clear the table, Stevie and I’ll plate up.”</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>The next morning they gently wake Tony with kisses and cuddles, so many kisses and cuddles he nearly misses his appointment with Pepper despite their best intentions, but it’s totally worth it when they can send him off looking happy and relaxed, and with the promise of more to come.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Come join us on the 16+ <a href="https://discord.gg/jtXcc3n"> Stuckony discord server </a> for all things Tony, Bucky and Steve!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>